'Soldier of Allah' evidence not a defence to Rigby murder, court hears

By Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - The jury in the trial of two men accused of murdering British soldier Lee Rigby heard on Tuesday that the evidence by one of them that Muslims are engaged in a war against Western nations was not a defence to the charge of murder in law. Michael Adebolajo, 29, and co-defendant Michael Adebowale, 22, are accused of running over Rigby in Woolwich, southeast London, on May 22 before attacking his unconscious body with knives and a meat cleaver. They both deny murder. Last week, Adebolajo sat in the witness box just metres away from Rigby's family and said he was waging a war for Allah in response to Western wars in nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. But Judge Nigel Sweeney told the Old Bailey jury that did not amount to a defence in law. He said: "I have ruled that nothing said by the first defendant (Adebolajo), and in particular his evidence in short that he was a soldier of Allah and was justified in doing what he did, amounts in law to a defence to this count (of murder)." The jury also heard graphic detail from prosecutor Richard Whittam in his closing speech who described how Rigby suffered at least 14 stab wounds, causing damage to the bone or cartilage of the off-duty soldier's face and neck. Whittam said there was no defence to the attack and asked the jury to find the men guilty. "Killing to make a political point, to frighten the public, to put pressure on the government or as an expression of anger is murder and remains murder whether the government in question is a good one, a bad one or a dreadful one," he said. The defendants, he added, had failed to show how they identified Rigby as a soldier, whom they considered a legitimate target. "They didn't know whether he was a medic, teacher or support staff in the barracks," Whittam said. "They hoped that he was a soldier." As the two men looked on silently from the dock, defence lawyer David Gottlieb said the false impression had been given that innocent members of the public were vulnerable when in fact Rigby's camouflage backpack and demeanour made him a clear military target. Gottlieb also told the jury that his defendant, Adebolajo, had been demonized by the media and politicians who played on issues including ethnicity and Islam in the aftermath of the attack and clouded the truth. "I suggest to you this background of religion, race, class, politics has been a toxic mix and when you add in the word terrorism, as we have in this case, made it impossible for rational people to think straight," he said in an impassioned speech. Earlier Judge Sweeney struck out a count of conspiracy to murder a police officer saying there was much overlap with the remaining charge of the attempted murder of a police officer. The 12-member jury is expected to retire to deliver a verdict by the end of the week. (Editing by Stephen Addison)